NEW YORK – September 12, 2011 – Scholastic Media announced today its popular and award-winning animated show Maya & Miguel premieres on Univision Network’s “Planeta U” children’s programming block this month. Univision Network is one of the top five networks in the U.S. and is the country’s most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network, reaching 95% of U.S. Hispanic households. Univision’s “Planeta U” educational/informational programming block airs three hours on Saturday mornings. The block includes segments that promote literacy, reading, problem-solving skills, respect for others, self esteem, and pride in Hispanic identity – values infused into each Maya & Miguel episode. Twenty-six half-hour episodes will be seen in rotation in Spanish only; the series currently airs in English on PBS KIDS GO! in the United States.

“We are delighted to bring Maya & Miguel to Univision and its many viewers,” says Deborah Forte, President of Scholastic Media and Executive Vice President of Scholastic Inc, the global publishing, education and media company. “The characters’ unique ability to promote cultural diversity, family values and the strength of communities has long resonated with children and families – and we look forward to the show’s continued success.”

“Our partnership with Scholastic Media speaks to our commitment to deliver high quality, educational programming to our younger audience. This is also an extension of our Es el momento initiative focused on creating a college bound culture and Maya & Miguel will help us enforce this message at an early stage,” adds Luis Fernandez, president of Entertainment & UVN Studios at Univision Networks.

Maya & Miguel centers on the adventures (and sometimes misadventures) of irrepressible ten-year-old twins Maya & Miguel Santos, their loving extended family, their groups of friends, and their pet parrot Paco, all of whom live together in a fun, active and diverse neighborhood. Lively and colorful, the never-a-dull moment comedy revolves around Maya’s well-intended meddling in her family and friends’ lives, which almost always leads to new predicaments to fix. Even though Miguel gets mixed-up in Maya’s friends’ crazy schemes, he always lends a hand to untangle any resulting mess. With humorous twists and turns, the underlying message of Maya & Miguel is the importance of doing good for family and community, and the philosophy that a shared happiness is greater than personal gain.

Maya & Miguel originally debuted in 2004 and presented culture and language learning as fun, relevant, and rewarding for all children – with a special emphasis on the Latino population. The show has received numerous awards including the prestigious Corporate Citizenship award from the Hispanic Federation, an Imagen Award for Best Children’s Programming, an iParenting Media Award, and a Parents’ Choice Award. The twins also were chosen in 2010 as ambassadors for First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign, which encouraged children to be more active in their daily lives.